Tag Archives: completion

In the front yard is my lilac bush, surrounded by roses. A fragrant spot, especially in spring.

At 3.38 p.m. PDT, I closed up my WIP, then saved it on the flash drive that sits on a desk next to the table upon which my computer lives. The Hawk was finished in a manner much like it began, sort of innocuous, as if from a dream.

I just had to photograph this rose again; it has bloomed so beautifully. Sending love to Miss Cindy; these shots are for you my friend.

Actually, the idea for this book came to me during slumber, and within the novel it ends that way too, Lynne and Eric and…. I won’t spoil the conclusion; let me just say it’s a happy one, emerging over the last few days as though it was always meant to wrap up at the end of a month. Six months and four years in the making, ahem, but who’s counting?

The back side of that plant, totally awesome….

Not me, not anymore. Word counts and numbering chapters are over. The Hawk is finito, oh my goodness! Amid several baskets of laundry, grocery shopping, and my usual faffing about, I wrote a chapter, number 266 to be precise, a little over 3K in length. This book started with Eric and Lynne, ends that way too. Maybe that’s a spoiler, but I don’t care.

I’ve finished this novel, and yup, I’m over the moon.

Quickly I need to thank a few folks; Julie K. Rose has been in my proverbial writing corner for a helluva long time. Honey, you are amazing, and I love you so! Laura Bruno Lilly is a writing buddy, also a fellow quilter and (he)artist who connected with me through NANOWRIMO; giterdoneatlastpeace my friend. There’s my awesome and growing family, to whom I am indebted and blessed by their love and support. Friends from the ages have proffered their cheerleading ways, thanks more than I can say. My husband is a saint, literally, ha ha. He’s also my soulmate who makes this writing gig feasible, not to mention keeping me grounded. And then there’s….

We call this rose Gracie; flanked by the peach tree to the left, a blueberry bush on the right, with a tall peach-coloured rose behind it, Gracie has to work hard to be noticed. She’s a beauty….

In this story, Christian faith starts out in the shadows, but as it has been within my life, so it builds within the fiction. I am blessed beyond any amount of words by a Love that exceeds all levels I could dream, grace that soothes, peace that heals. And divine inspiration that has allowed for this novel’s completion; believe me, there’s no way I could have done this on my own. I was forty-seven when this story began, have gained, and lost, loved ones. I’ve turned fifty, then fifty-one, and actually just celebrated another birthday, jeez Louise! But now it’s all water under one heck of a Hawk-like bridge.

Last but not least are geraniums along the western side of the house. We have more in front, but these are worthy of a shout-out.

Before posting this entry, I want to say that regardless of how insurmountable a challenge may seem, if you feel called to it don’t despair. As I’ve mentioned, there have been plenty of moments when I wanted to abandon this book, yet I KNEW eventually the impetus to continue would emerge. Maybe that’s what I’ve learned from this experience, both in how long it has taken to write it, and how lengthy of a yarn I’ve spun. There is no turning back from that to which we are called to do, merely the simple action of daily performing our duty, be it as a writer, a wife, a quilter, a mother, even an abuela. Tomorrow I will celebrate my fifty-second year with the hubby, our daughters, the grandkids, and others so beloved. And no small attention will be given to a novel that is now in the can. A birthday and book party methinks, hehehe. Oh yes, definitely time to celebrate.